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At least 35 people have lost their lives in Benin after a fuel depot explosion resulting in a billow of smoke into the sky, Al Jazeera reported citing the officials and witnesses.
In the town of Seme-Podji, close to the Nigerian border, where vehicles, motorcycles, and tricycle taxis had gathered to stock up on gasoline, a fire broke out on Saturday, according to locals. The fire burned down the store and according to an initial assessment resulted in 35 deaths including one child, Prosecutor Abdoubaki Adam-Bongle in a statement, according to Al Jazeera. According to the witnesses interviewed, the fire was probably started during the unloading of bags of gasoline, the Prosecutor added. More than a dozen people sustained severe injuries and are being treated in hospital, according to Al Jazeera. The"causeofthefireissmuggledfuel,"accordingtoAlassaneSeidou,interiorministerofBenin. Hesaidthattheflames"badlycharred"thevictims'corpses. Along Benin's border with Nigeria, a significant oil producer, fuel smuggling is widespread. In border towns, unauthorised refineries, fuel dumps, and pipelines have appeared, occasionally igniting fires. (ANI)
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